Self Management
Self-Management and Time Management
Time management, not surprisingly, is the most commonly referenced answer to the question, "What was the most valuable aspect of the Diploma Programme for you?" But when students reference the building of their time management skills, they are speaking of much more. They are also speaking of the growth in their organizational skills, their growth in self-discipline, their ability to manage motivation and more. All of these are referred to as self-management skills.
Much is asked of our students, and how they perform very much depends on the processes they adopt and the tools they employ to manage these demands. |
Time management is a combination of three things:
- clear and manageable processes put in place to organize, plan and address our objectives
- valuable tools to assist us with the execution of those processes
- the commitment from ourselves to engage with the work we have set out to complete
Section 1: Taking Stock of Ourselves!
Time management is intended to help us achieve our goals, whatever those goals may be. It will allow us to complete our school and work obligations, while also helping us address our personal needs, such as sleep, exercise, time with friends, or down-time, all of which are critical for our social and emotional health. To be more effective with our time management, we need to have some sense of what we want to achieve. This section will help us reflect on what we want to achieve and what we are capable of. There is much pressure on students to perform at a very high level, pressure that can often lead to high levels of stress and anxiety. We encourage students to take the time to think about their goals and the reasons behind them, and to keep in mind two critical tenets:
- You are allowed, and even expected, to be imperfect.
- You can achieve more than you might realize.
Tenet #1: Engaging with Vulnerability and Imperfection
Perfect assumes there is a single best answer, a single best way to be, a single best way to engage the world. The result of that mindset is an inevitable realization that we have not achieved that standard and thus have not been, and cannot be successful. We encourage all of our students to rethink the notion of perfection and consider instead to strive for excellence and growth!
Tenet #2: Building Grit and Changing Mindset
The world is not a fixed place, and we are not fixed people. We have the power and ability to change the world and to change ourselves. Success in what we endeavor to do is frequently determined by two critical and common ingredients: attitude and effort!
Section 2: Student Needs and Resources
Most, if not all, undertakings require some types of processes and resources to increase the likelihood of success. Whether it is a marathon training plan and a pair of running shoes, furniture design and a table saw, or a practice schedule and a ukulele, appropriate tools and a plan can make all the difference in how successful we can be when we set out to build new skills and habits. Developing our time management skills is not different. We need tools and routines, used together, to make it work. Having a planner is great. Using it is even better! Having a calendar is fantastic. Referencing it on a daily basis is a must! There are many types of tools routines for planning and organization. Finding the right ones that work for you are critical!
Habits and Routines
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Well established routines can have an immeasurable impact on our day to day productivity, regardless of what we are trying to achieve. Whether we are writing a research paper or conducting a physics lab, starting our own business, or making time to go for a bike ride, day to day routines create a framework for the choices we make with our time. Admiral William McRaven takes the value of routines a step further. For him, routines are not only about schedules. They are about attitudes. According to Adm. McRaven, when your routines change your attitude, you can change the world!
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Workspace environment: It is critical to set your environment up for success. Environmental cues matter and can influence productivity in either a positive or negative way. Make it your own! Create a vision board to remind you of your dreams. Organize your supplies and have them ready to go. Keep a decluttered desk and establish a productive workspace that you can get up and leave when your work is complete.
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Establishing academic routines: Develop a routine using your calendar and/or your planner. Consider checking it first thing in the morning and make a list of your top three to do items. As you wrap up the day, review your calendar/planner and close your laptop so you can make the cognitive shift to self-care and time with your friends and family.
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Strong sleep habits: "Sleep is vital for people of any age. For teens, though, profound mental, physical, social, and emotional development requires quality sleep. Sleep benefits the brain and promotes attention, memory, and analytical thought. It makes thinking sharper, recognizing the most important information to consolidate learning. Sleep also facilitates expansive thinking that can spur creativity." (sleepfoundation.org)
There are increasing numbers of demands that consume students' time and attention, impacting the amount of sleep they get nightly. Increased levels of stress and anxiety contribute to the challenge of getting quality restorative sleep. A strong work routine that includes an end time can help dramatically! |
Tools to help support focus, rest and relaxation.
- White Noise Lite -This application plays ambient sounds intended to support stress reduction, relaxation, and sleep.
- Calm - This application supports relaxation and rest with tools such as music, meditations, nature scenes, or sleep stories. This application can also be used to support focus as some students find it helpful to play relaxing music while working.
Prioritizing Tasks
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With a well-established routine you will have a good sense how much time you will have each day for school
work and other non-school priorities. Justin Hale, in his one-productive-minute series, gives sound advice on
how to prioritize your academic and non-academic time and tasks. Keep it clear and keep it brief!
Tools to help you prioritize your tasks.
work and other non-school priorities. Justin Hale, in his one-productive-minute series, gives sound advice on
how to prioritize your academic and non-academic time and tasks. Keep it clear and keep it brief!
Tools to help you prioritize your tasks.
- Evernote.com- This application supports prioritizing, organizing, and note-taking
- Focus Booster - This application is a productivity and time tracking tool based on the Pomodoro Technique
Confronting Procrastination!
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One simple strategy to address procrastination is to take the large, looming, seemingly insurmountable tasks and break them into smaller, friendlier tasks.
When you are told to clean your room, break the big task into smaller, more mentally and/or physically accessible asks:
- Pick clothing up off the floor and into the hamper (quick and simple, easy and accessible. Big return on effort!)
- Make the bed (a bit more involved than cleaning the floor, but relatively quick and big surface area neatened = another big return on effort!
- Organize and put away items on desk and dresser surfaces (a bit more tedious than picking up the clothes, but you are on a roll now and can see the value of your work!)
- You probably get the picture now:) So keep adding to the list, one manageable task at a time!
The same strategy can be used for just about any classroom task, be it a project, a reading assignment, or any other assigned task. Instead of attempting to get through a book, just plan to read a chapter. Instead of reading a chapter, set out to read 3 pages. Once that task is completed, set another goal to read a bit more.
Planning and Organization
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Tools to help you plan and organize your tasks.
- My Study Life - This application supports keeping track of your classes, tasks, and exams
- Todoist - This application supports organizing your life and getting more done with custom recommendations based on your unique strengths, challenges, and goals. Using this application can support organizing tasks and projects.
- Microsoft To Do - This task management application makes it easy to plan and manage your day.
- Any.do - This application has a variety of features such as a calendar, reminders, to-do lists, and planning tools.
- Visual Timer - Using Visual timer can be very beneficial from the productivity point of view. It is hard to manage your time when you set no real boundaries and a good old timer is capable of doing just that. Only when you have a boundary on your time can you stick to the task you should be working on.
Student Wellness
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- Digital Wellbeing During Covid-19 - Tips for maintaining a healthy school / home work environment
"As we all spend more time at home, we’re learning to adapt to a new way of life. No matter what it is you’re doing—working, learning, catching up with loved ones, even exercising—chances are you’re doing it with a screen. "(read more) - You Can't Multitask, So Stop Trying - Multitasking is the skill we all of to brandish at our job interviews as a way of communicating we can handle the many demands of the job. But the research suggests otherwise. When we multitask, we actually accomplish less and with a decrease in quality. The more important the tasks, the more severe the consequences. Read what Paul Atchley, Ph.D., associate professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Kansas, has to say about the risks and misperceptions of multitasking.
- How Your Phone is Damaging Your Chance to Progress - A brief interview with James Clear (Atomic Habits) discussing the impact of our phones on our ability to work productively.
A note from the webpage authors:
This webpage was constructed as a joint effort by Loren Baron, the MHS Diploma Programme Coordinator ([email protected]) and Charlotte Nagy, the MHS School Psychologist ([email protected]). The structure, format and content are their own, unless attributed to another source either in the body of the page or below.
Time management is a sizeable topic with enough information to fill volumes. The information presented on this webpage is not intended to be comprehensive, but to be accessible to students and parents in order to help them make reasonable and manageable changes to their practices to help them increase their productivity and their academic success, in addition to their overall mental and emotional health.
Time management is a sizeable topic with enough information to fill volumes. The information presented on this webpage is not intended to be comprehensive, but to be accessible to students and parents in order to help them make reasonable and manageable changes to their practices to help them increase their productivity and their academic success, in addition to their overall mental and emotional health.
Sources cited or referenced
https://www.vitalsmarts.com/one-productive-minute/
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/
https://unsplash.com/
https://www.ted.com/
https://www.smartbutscatteredkids.com/
https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/effective-time-management
https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/wellbeing.google/en//static/pdf/digital-wellbeing-tips.pdf
https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
https://hbr.org/2010/12/you-cant-multi-task-so-stop-tr
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/
https://unsplash.com/
https://www.ted.com/
https://www.smartbutscatteredkids.com/
https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/effective-time-management
https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/wellbeing.google/en//static/pdf/digital-wellbeing-tips.pdf
https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
https://hbr.org/2010/12/you-cant-multi-task-so-stop-tr